THE WAR.
GERMANY
**THEATRICAL
AND
THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14TH, 1916.
PEACE.
SUGGESTION.”
NEW FRENCH MINISTRY.
FIGHTING
ON ALL FRONTS.
THE GREEK SITUATION.
General.
LATEST CABLES. (THROUGH REUTER's agency.]
BOASTFUL CLAIMS.
AMSTERDAM, December 12th. The Notes further state that the Quadruple Group have proved their GERMANY AND PEACE unconquerable strength, have won mighty
STRIKING STATEMENT BY BETHMANN-HOLLWEG.
AMSTERDAM, December 12th.
The Reichstag was crowded, and the galleries were thronged when Dr. von Bethmann-Hollweg, the Chancellor, rose to speak. He said: 1 shall be brief.
Roumanian entered the war to roll up our position and that of our Ally in the East. Simultaneously, a grand offensive on the Somme was intended to pierce our Western front, while renewed Italian at- tacks were meant to paralyse Austro- Hungary. The situation was serious, but by God's help our troops withstood all attacks.
The Western front not only stands, but despite the Roumanian campaign is equipped with larger reserves of men and material than formerly. But while the Somme and Carso drumfre resound-
The
NEW FRENCH CABINET. BRITISH EXAMPLE FOLLOWED.
PARIS, December 13th.
The new Cabinet has been re-organise I! on the lines of the British Cabinet and is designated the Council of National Defence. It will consist of six members, and it is reliably forecasted that among these may be M. Briand, M. Ribot, General Lyautey, Admiral Lacaze, M. Painleve, M. Thomas or other Ministers and distinguished Statemen.
LATER.
fex-
The new Ministry will be M. Briand, Premier and Foreign Minister: M. Ribot, Finance Minister; M. Viviani, Minister of Justice and of Public Work, and Instruction; General Lyautey Governor of Morocco), Minister of War: M. Clementel, Minister of National Economy and Commerce, M. Doumerque, Minister for the Colonies; M. Thomas, successes over the enemy, that they are Minister for War Production and superior in numbers and war material, Armaments; M. Malvy, Minister of the and that their lines unshakably with Interior; M. Lacaze, Minister of Marine; stand over-repeated attacks.
M. Herriot (Mayor of Lyons), Minister latest assault în the Balkans has in charge of Civilian and Military bwen quickly wrocked, and the Revictualling latest events prove that the Quadruple Group's powers of resistance are on- breakable. The entire situation justifies the expectation of further successes and glorious deeds on the part of the Quadruple Fowers' armies. This has not altered the fact that the Quadruple Group were compelled to take up arms to defend their existence. Their aim, however, is not to crush or to destroy their enemies, and they are proposing pence negotiations sapported by the consciousness of their military and economic strength.
THE KAISER'S ARMY ORDER. *
AMSTERDAM, December 12th. The Keiser has issued zu Army Order in which he says: In sentiment of the victory which "yon havo gained by your: bravery, 1, and the Monarchs of the three allied States, have made the enemy a
VOLUNTEER BILL.
LONDON, December 13th. The House of Lords; passed the Volun teer Bill, and then adjourned until the
14th inst.
SIR EDWARD CARSON AND NATIONAL ORGANISATION.
LONDON, December 13th.
Sir Edward Carson, in a letter resign ing the Chairmanship of the Unionist War Committee, says that the example set by our enemies of national organise tion can only be successfully combated by similar action on our part.
AUSTRALIA'S WHEAT
SUPPLY.
ed, and the Russiane launched troops on the Eastern frontier of Transylvania, General von Hindenburg captured the Peace offer. It is uncertain whether the New South Wales may be only half of the
our
enemies
him we have in view will be attained.
whole of western Wallachia and Buk-You have therefore to continue to resist harest, great stocks of grain, rictuale and oil falling into our hands. Thus, by a. sword stroke, the whole of the foundations of our economic needs have been laid. Our submarines have added their heroic does, and the famide on the war's losses and misery, including spectre which
intend-neutrals, and declares that Europe, as ed" fór us "now mercilessly pursues the seat of civilisation, is threatened with there. After the first year's war the destruction, in which Germany is defen Kaiser said his heart was filled with awa aively warring The Note hopes that the and determination. That is how we feel Holy See will benevolently echo, and now. If the enemy equated on our weari- valuably assist Germany's peace initia Dess then he is deceived."
A STATUS QUO!
WASHINGTON, Desember 12th. Berlin advices to the German Embassy had not exhausted its resources. Their indicate that Germany has proposed the enemies had evaded their previous de restoration of the status quo before the clarations of readiness for peace, but war, excepting the establishment of in- the Kaiser considered the moment had dependent kingdoms of Poland
defeat by the enemy,"
THE NOTE TO THE POPE.
AMSTERDAM, December 13th.
to The German Note to the Pope dwells
The Chancellor alio remarked that the
German Empire was not a beleaguored fortress, but a mighty army camp which
J
tive.
Lithuania.
and.
AMERICAN OPINION.
WASHINGTON, December 13th.
It is stated at the White House that President Wilson is rearving comment on the peace proposals until he learns the Entente Posers reception of them.. Oficials opine that the Central Powers are making overtures because they are
PEACE PROPOSALS BY The Balkans,
GERMANY,
HER "RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE
GOD."
LATEST CABLES. [TKROUGH ABUTER'S AGENTOT,]
GERMAN CLAIMS. LONDON, December 12th.
10,000 PRISONERS." A telegram from Berlin says that Dr. von Bethunan Hollweg announced in the
AMSTERDAM, December 12th. Reichstag that Germany and her Allies,
A German official message says:-We conscious of their responsibility before have captured Mizil, halfway between God and before their own nations and Ploesti Buzon and Urziceni, and thirty humanity, had proposed to-day to hostile miles southeast of Ploesth We have Powers to enter upon peace negotiations taken 10,000 prisoners in three days, and capturad several guns and much war material.
AMSTERDAM, December 11th. Great interest is evinced in Germany by the sudden summoning of the Reich stag to morrow, when Dr. von Bethmann Hollweg is expected to make an import- ant declaration, the nature of which is not disclosed.
ENEMY POWERS UNANIMOUS. LONDON, December 12th. Reuter's correspondent at Amsterdam says that official telegrams from Vienna and Berlin state that all the enemy Powers have addressed to hostile Govern ments identical Notes expressing willing
ness to enter upon peace negotiations.
PARLIAMENT. MEETS AND
ADJOURNS.
PREMIER'S STATEMENT NEXT WEEK
LONDON, December 12th. The House of Commone was crowded when it met to day.
All the Liberal ex-members of the Cabinet sat in the Front Opposition Bench,
The Unionist rank and filo retained their seats on the Opposition aide, fores- talling the Liberals, who intended to cross the floor.
Mr. Bonar Taw moved the adjourn ment until December 14th, when Mr. Lloyd George will move a Voto of Credit Mr. McKenna suggested that Mr. SYDNEY, December 13th.
Lloyd George's statement of policy should
ciably reduce the wheat crop. That of
Adverse influences threaten to approbe postponed until next week, to enable
Mfr. Asquith to be present..
This agreed to. Franco-Belgian Front,
LATEST CABLES, (THROUGH REUTEE'S 'AGENCY.] SUCCESSFUL BRITISH MINING,
original estimate. Victoria is so much below expectatione.
GERMAN VIEW OF MR. LLOYD GEORGE.
AMSTERDAM, December 19th. The Berliner Tagblatt states that Mr. Lloyd George is a man of the greatest energy and determination, and his appointment means war to the end.
-AUSTRALIA'S DETERMINA-
TION.
MELBOURNE, December 13th. The Hon. Mr. G. Pearce, is the course of a speech, forecasted a national organi sation, and declared that the Government was determined to do its utmost to send reinforcements, matérial and munitions. Australia should send every bushel of wheat possible oversens.
His speech was loudly cheered. PROHIBITING COCAINE AND
OPIUM.
LONDON, December 13th,
A Proclamation prohibits the im portation of opium and cocaine to the United Kingdom; except by licence.
AMERICAN INCENDIARISM,
arrived for an official peace, moved in the highest moral and religious sense, and by duty towards his people and to mankind. Our enemies brought up the mighty question of a world war in 1914; to-day we put before humanity the ques tion of peace. We await our enemy's reply with the calm which our external and internal strength and a clear con- science confer. If our enemies decline, convinced that there is no hope of Pre-plant of the Aetna Chemical Company at and if they wish to assume the world sident Wilson at present making ad- Fort Pitt, where three persons were burden of horrors that
ensue,
then every German heart will blaze up anew with
holy wrath,”
vances.
Neutral diplomatists doubt that any pesceable results may be expected from
The Chancellor concluded by intimating Cormany's somewhat theatrical sugges that they had asked the representatives tion.
of the United States, Spain and Switzer, land, as the guardians of Germany's in- terests abroad, to transmit the peace pro posals previously mentioned, and the Pope had also been informed.
THE PEACE NOTES.
New Yous, December 13th. In connection with the explosion in the
killed, the Federal authorities at Pitta burg have arrested a suspect, and are seeking three others believed to be Germans regularly engaged for causing explosions in munition worke in the United States.
EARLIER CABLES.
BELGIAN DEPORTATIONS. GERMÁNY DENIES ITS ILLEGALITY.
AMSTERDAM, December 19th Replying to the United States' protest. against the Belgian deportations, the German Government maintains that it hus not infringed the rules of interna timal law. The reply refers to the
WHAT THEY CONTAIN.
AMSTERDAM, December 12th. The Notes proposing peace negotiations APPLAUSE AND HAND-CLAPPING stabe "The proposals which the Cen The Reichstag greeted the Chancellor's tral Powers and their Allies will bring reading of the Note with applause and to the negotiations are, they are con hand-clapping, in which the Extremists vinced, suitable for the basis of a lasting joined. The adjournment was then peace If, despite this offer, fighting voted, a section of the House un should continue, we are determined to removal of the population from parts of successfully demanding that there should being the war to a victorious end, but Germany and German Colonies by enemy
solemnly decline every be no delay in the discussion of the
responsibility troops, and alleges that some have been
sent to Siberia therefore." Chancellor's speech.
**DOWN WITH THE KING.”
SCENES AT : SALONIKA.
LONDON, December 13th. Provisional Government telegrams from, Salonika state that at a Requiem Mass the congregation often interrupted the officiating Bishop by shouting "down with the King, down with the German- Field-Marshal, down with the murderer of his own countrymen, down with the
traitor:"!
The inhabitants of Candia bave passed a resolution declaring that King Constan- ting should be deposed, and delivered over to the curses of the Greek race
GERMAN RULE IN ROUMANIA,
HEAVY WAR, TAXES,
LONDON, December 13th. The Times correspondent at Jassy states that the Germans have levied a war tax of £2,000,000 on Cracova. The levy on Bukharest will be on a double scale.
FARLIER CABLES.
GERMAN ATTACKS REPULSED.
RUSSIANS CAPTURE HEIGHTS.
LONDON, December 12th.
A Russian communiqué says:-Enemy attacks south-east of the wooded Car- pathians and in Moldavia were repulsed. Wo captured some heights-
The Germans are unsuccessfully attack- ing north of Cislau and west of Mizilu, thirty miles northeast and twenty-five miles east of Ploesti, respectively.
FRENCH SUCCESSES.
FIVE ENEMY OUTPOSTS CARRIED.
LONDON, December 12th.
A French communiqué saya: We car ried five small Bulgarian vatposts south
LONDON, December 12th. General Sir Douglas Haig reports:-- There have been successful mining opera tions southward of Ypres. There has been enemy artillerying and trench mortar of the River Hojunnyca and on the right firing opposite Festubert and at Neuve bank of the Vardar. Chapelle. An enemy ammunition dump
Snow checked operations in the whole
At Vimy was fired. We hombarded, re-region north of Manastir, where an artil- taliatorily, the enemy's support-lines lery duel continues most violently.
Africa.
northward of the Antro.
RECIPROCAL ARTILLERY.
WORK.
PARIS, December 12th. An official message says:-South of the Some there has been b.isk reciprocal urtillerying, in the Blaches and La Maisonette sectors.
HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES.
PARIS, December 13th.
It is estimated that the German losses in the Somme region since July 1st have been 090,000.
VIOLENT BOMBARDMENTS. PARIS, Desember 13th.
$
A French correspondent states that there has been a mutual bombardment on the Western front, which has been the most violent since the beginning of the battle of the Somme. The catenading has been most intense not only on both banks of the Ancre, but also from,Lcs to Ypres. The duel has now lasted for a
month
EARLIER CABLES.
FRENCH BREAK UP ATTACK. SUCCESSFUL GRENADE WORK.
LONDON, December 12th. A French communiqué peso:- A Ger man attack north of Lassigny was broken up by our barrage. Enemy, detachments which gained & footing in our advanced trenches were driven out with grenades, Our line was entirely re-establisked.
BARLIER CABLES. (THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]
BRITISH SUCCESS IN EAST AFRICA.
MILITARY CROSS AWARDED.
LONDON, December 12th. Reuter's Special Correspondent at Mgogoro relates that the German General Wahle, retreating from Tabora, in a Bouth-eastward direction, in order to join the enemy's main force, was held up by a small British post under Captain Tom Marriott, forty miles south of Ngominge. After four days' fighting a relief force under Colonel Murny drove off General Wahle's force, killing 01 of them and taking 33 prisonera.
Italian Front.
LATEST CABLES.
ĮTHROUGH BRUTER'S AGUEROT.]
ENEMY ATTACK REPULSED,
ROME, December 12th. An official message says:The enemy attempted an attack at Dosso Casina, south-westward of Loppio, but was re- palsed. Bad weather on the Carso im pedes the artillery.
General.
LATEST CABLES. (THROUGH BUTER'S AGENCY.)
OBITUARY.
GENERAL SIR G. LUCK.
LONDON, December 13th, The death is announced of General Sir George Luck, G.C.B.
[Deceased had a long military career, and held the post of Inspector General of Cavalry in India, 1887-93; commander in Quetta District, 1803; Inspector- General of Cavalry in Great Britain and Ireland, 1895-98; commander in Hussars in Afghan and Boer wars. He Bengal Army, 1898-1902 commanded 18th was raised to the rank of General in 1905: and was H.M.'s Lieutenant in the Tower of London, 1905-7.]
"THE TRAITOR KING." IMPASSIONED SCENE IN GREEK ISLAND.
A revolution against King Constantine may be said to have broken out in Mytilene, writes Mr. J. M. N. Jeffries to the Daily Mail. The population, whon M. Venizelos addressed them, broke into wild cries against the King. Such, cries had been greeting M. Venizelos all the way from the moment he landed from the steamer Hesperia.
A short distance from Mytileno town he was met by a reception committee and entered a landau drawn by four horses. Cretan footmen and Evzones (body- guards) in the national costume ran alongside and were akin to a royal guard.
Mounted French officers preceded the carriage. French troopers in horizon- blue lined the road, their rifles stiffly. held before them. The officers all· Steel-helmeted lowered their swords.
French artillery-men acted as outriders. The garrisen indeed gave M. Venizelos. royal honours, a
People of the island showed an almost religious enthusiasm. They Dung Howers in M. Venizelos path, shouted widely, and trampled on each other to get nearer him. For a space of a hundred yards o number of men, and even women, clung on to high barbed wire railings their handa bleeding and indifferent to spikes, yelling, "Long live Venizelos! Down with the King!"
A crowd of from 8,000 to 10,000 was packed together on the quayside and before the town hall, and the whole space of harbour in front was paved with boats, all crammed with auditors, so that when M. Venizelos appeared on the balcony he spoke to a populace ashore and afloat.
His
speech was yet another clear, bold, noble demonstration of the necessity for Greece to act immediately with us to the best of her powern and a recapitulation of the evil that the decadent Government of Athens has brought on the countrys It was more forceful than ever before, and he spoke openly. He said that while the King four months ago might have acted in good faith of seeing a reason- able prospect of a German victory, he could only have acted in bad faith since. M. Venizelos spoke also of the criminal policy of those directing the Athenian Government.
***LET THE GERMANS HAVE HIM *** But, well is M. Venizelos spoke, it was, above all, the people who spoke to-day. They declared war on the King. "Dow with the King was a mere overture to the wild cries that followed. They. cried, Death to the traitor even before M. Venizelos had uttered a word of criticism of the decadent Government. But when he, with impassioned voice, spoke of the treason of Ravalla the whole throng before me (I was on the balcony. | beside M. Venizelos) surged back and forth in a wave of anger. "Death to the King" they cried. Death to the recreant Away with him! Let the Germans have him "
From then on the speech was punctuated by a continuous roar of voicea. The men before me shrieked with anger. Men of the people, well-dressed men, and soldiers, they raised both arms in the air and To peared imprecations on the King the dogs with him and his German mar abal's baton! To hell with Germany General Wahle foll back towards Punish the traitor, the seller of his
country!" Mabenge.
The whole crowd of thousands of men shook with passion. Still, M. Venizelos, A strong foroo which he had detached with Admiral Condouriotis and General with the object of enveloping General Danglis by his side, stood calm and white- faced, watching the people, who every Northey was cut off and it surrendered. now and then interjected shouts of God Seven white officers and 47 white men and bless Venizelos: Long live our glorious
admiral!!
M. began The policy of Athens," 249 Askarių were taken prisoners, and a
Venizelos Malediction, anathems, purse howitzer and three maxims, ammunition the King," interrupted the crowd. The speech ended amid thundering cheers for and cattle were captured.
Premier and a greater Breat Capital Marriott has been awarded the Greece," and then, beginning on the out- skirts and spreading till those before me Military Cross,
were yelling with distorted mouths, came Our northern line of investment has the ominous cry of Hang him, hang the
traitor King D now advanced sixty miles along a front of 200 miles from Newiringa, Kissaki and Kissangire.
Our coastward advance south-west by south from Kilws has now penetrated sixty miles inland.
our
The cry continued, rising and falling a fall minute, and then all was transform-.
ed. Having said what was in their
minds, all dispersed quietly in the bright sunshine.
An aeroplane flew over the Hesperia, bombe Nos desge was done. British M. Venise ship, and threw three warshwe drove all the machine.